TopAuto recently got the chance to briefly test drive the new Geely Riddara RD6 – a bakkie with the stats to keep up with the fastest models on the market.
Geely is a new Chinese car brand that launched in South Africa in late 2025, and currently offers two SUVs – the electric E5 and the plug-in hybrid E5 EM-i.
However, the company has an ambitious roadmap for South Africa that will usher in three new sub-brands in the near future: Zeekr, Farizon, and Riddara.
Riddara is the largest new-energy pickup truck brand in China, and it will soon launch in our market with the RD6 double cab.
Riddara’s vehicles are being imported by Enviro Automotive, which serves as the distributor for a wide range of electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa.
The company’s co-founder and managing director, Gideon Wolvaardt, recently visited our office, giving TopAuto and our sister publication MyBroadband a chance to get hands-on with the new bakkie.
The unit we tested belongs to Wolvaardt, who uses it as his daily runaround in the construction industry and has already racked up 40,000km.
The RD6 is available in both rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and four-wheel-drive configurations, and we got to sample the latter.
This version has two electric motors (one over each axle), which combine to generate an impressive 315kW and 595Nm.
To put that in perspective, the RD6 is the second most powerful double cab in the country behind the BYD Shark 6.
These are the outputs for a few of South Africa’s other top-end bakkies:
- BYD Shark 6 Premium AWD – 321kW/650Nm
- Ford Ranger 3.0T V6 Raptor 4WD – 292kW/583Nm
- GWM P500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4 – 225kW/648Nm
- VW Amarok 2.3TSI PanAmericana 4Motion – 222kW/452Nm
- Changan Hunter REEV CE 4×4 – 200kW/400Nm
- Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 4×4 GR-Sport – 165kW/500Nm
The Riddara can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest pickup in South Africa.
The 4WD version will be sold with one of two batteries, starting with a 73kWh cell with a WLTP range of 424km.
Alternatively, there’s a larger 85kWh pack that extends the range to 455km.
It can support charging speeds of up to 11kW AC or 110kW DC, the latter of which can achieve a 30% to 80% top-up in approximately 30 minutes.
During our brief test drive, we hit a 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds on a slight hill with four adults in the car, so the claimed time of 4.5 seconds seems plausible if you remove the other occupants.
The steering is light and responsive, and the bakkie’s ride height and large windows ensure that you have good all-round visibility.
The cabin is comfortable and quite spacious, and the suspension easily absorbed the imperfections in the tarmac on our drive to a deserted stretch of road.
First impressions
The Riddara’s interior is quite upmarket, featuring a 10.2-inch digital driver display and synthetic leather upholstery, though the unit we drove had thicker canvas covers to protect the seats.
The dashboard is dominated by an enormous 15.6-inch infotainment screen with a shortcut bar at the bottom. Thankfully, it also has a handful of physical buttons in the centre console for the dual-zone climate control.
Other nice-to-haves include heated and ventilated seats, a 50W wireless charger, and a 360-degree camera system.
It also has driving aids like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, front collision warning, and automatic emergency braking.
As far as its practical attributes are concerned, the RD6 does not disappoint, as it can can haul just over one tonne in the 1,200-litre load bin.
It can also tow up to 3 tonnes, putting it on equal footing with most other bakkies in South Africa.
Since it’s electric, you also get a 70-litre “frunk” under the hood, and the rear seats can be lifted to reveal another 48 litres of storage.
One other big selling point is that it supports vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, meaning the battery can be used to power external devices.
The outlets are located on the side of the load bin, letting the vehicle discharge up to 6kW through four sockets.
Admittedly, all of this comes at a substantial cost, as the range-topping RD6 will cost over R1 million when it goes on sale.
However, Enviro Automotive is also bringing the more affordable Riddara Econ models, which will be priced under R700,000.
This version cuts back on many of the luxury features and uses a single rear-mounted electric motor with a 63kW battery, giving it a range of around 317km.
Geely Riddara RD6 test drive
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